Most know Meyhem Lauren from his features on various Action Bronson projects over the years, while others are getting put on to his exploits as one of the stars of Fuck, That’s Delicious. But the Queens rapper has been quietly carving a space for himself within New York’s rap scene with a slew of tapes, EPs, and albums under his belt. His latest offering, Piatto D’Oro, is served up today.

This is arguably Lauren’s best effort to date, and he agrees. “I feel that it’s my favorite work to date,” he told us over the phone. “I feel like it has something for everybody. It has grimy records, it has something for the radio. It’s fun, it’s still me. I’ve been growing a lot and this album showcases my growth and where I’m headed career wise.”

Be sure to eat off plates of gold in a lap of luxury as you read the rest of our interview with Meyhem and stream Piatto D’Oro below.

You’ve been eating delicacies in foreign lands. How’s the experience been? It’s good, I feel like I’ve been doing that my whole life. Growing up in Queens, you’re exposed to a lot of culture. I’ve been eating all these things in Queens, now I’m eating them in the native land.

I’m assuming the show has brought you more visibility. 100 percent. I got stopped at least 10 times today.

You and Action have known each other since seventh grade, were you always foodies? Action’s family had a restaurant when I met him. He grew up in that environment and eventually worked there. My whole family cooks, my mother cooks, my brother’s a chef and him and Action went to culinary school together at one point. They both just smoked weed every day and dropped out, but they learned a thing or two when they were there.

Let’s talk about the new album. Seth Silencer​​ gave you some heaters. He’s a beast and he’s relatively unknown. I met him through one of my cousins—everybody has a friend who makes beats—but I always listen to things because you never know. This is one of those scenarios. He sent me the first batch and I was like, “Oh shit!” He’s actually from Flushing too.

Talk about the name of the album. Piatto d’Oro is the name of an Italian restaurant I’ve been eating at for years. This restaurant—I believe it’s on 118th and 1st—is just an old Italian restaurant that has great food. I don’t eat red meat anymore but they have something called the “tennis racquet” that’s a piece of veal that they beat and fan out and leave on the bone, and it literally looks like a tennis racket on your plate. They bring that out with bruschetta, tomatoes right in the middle…

That’s your favorite dish from the restaurant? That was when I ate red meat. Now I don’t really eat beef anymore, but if you go there for the first time I suggest you eat that. It’s incredible. I’m not good with the translation of the restaurant though. I mentioned it to a friend who speaks Italian and he said, “That means a plate of gold!” A plate of gold, that’s what I’m serving you.

That’s why you have the Versace plate on there. That wasn’t photoshopped, either. I own that plate, and then there’s two chains of mine and two chains of my man. We just put four chains on a plate and had a plate of gold, literally.

You’re into the Versace shirts with your chest out. I mean, I like to expose my chest hair, you know?